Monday 5 February 2018 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pmAEDT

Keith Lovegrove

To open another big year for the BZE discussion group, held at the University of Melbourne, we welcome our speaker Dr Keith Lovegrove, Managing Director of ITP Thermal Pty Ltd. Keith will speak about recent research into options for dispatchable renewable electricity generation. This includes the solar thermal power with storage technology announced for Port Augusta SA in late 2017. Keith is a leading expert in concentrating solar power (CSP) and has more than 20 years’ experience in leading solar thermal research, including 15 years teaching at the ANU as leader of the Solar Thermal Group.
Keith was also a pro-Bono technical advisor for BZE’s Stationary Energy Plan (2010), demonstrating that Australia could be powered by 100% renewable energy, and he has been a long-time supporter of BZE.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)

WHEN: 6:30 – 8pm Monday 5 February 2018Fritz Loewe Theatre, McCoy Building, Corner of Swanston and Elgin StsUniversity of MelbourneGetting there: Take any tram on Swanston Street and get off at Stop 1, Melbourne University.
Entry: Gold coin donation
All welcome.
Thank you to the University of Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI), our Zero Carbon Australia project partners for supporting us in bringing you this event.
Everyone is welcome to come along to the pub to continue the discussion after 8pm!

For those who can’t attend you will find the video recording of this event on the BZE YouTube Channel and via a link on this page.

Nissan is the world’s leading supplier of electric vehicles (EVs), with more than 270,000 sold globally since 2010. Nissan’s Product Communications Manager for the Asia-Oceania Region, Peter Fadeyev, will provide insights into the company’s EV products and plans, which include its clever solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology and its hybrid-based e-Power engines. Join us for a discussion on EV and energy-related topics, all towards the goal of zero emission vehicles and electrifying our transportation network.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)

Getting there: Take any tram on Swanston Street and get off at Stop 1, Melbourne University.
Entry to building is on south side of Elgin St up the ramp and through the automatic doors.

Entry: Gold coin donation

All welcome.
Thank you to the University of Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI), our Zero Carbon Australia project partners for supporting us in bringing you this event.
Everyone is welcome to come along to the pub next door to continue the discussion after 8pm!

For those who can’t attend you will find the video recording of this event on the BZE YouTube Channel and via a link on this page.

Video of Discussion Group: 30 Oct 2017: Safe Climate Transition Act

Philip from RSTI, a research and strategy organisation, and Sarah Brugler from Environmental Justice Australia have drafted a model Act in a new paradigm of legislative action, that has an overarching purpose to initiate the rapid transition to a safe climate economy by preventing the creation of new economic activity that is likely to have adverse impacts on achieving it. For example, this Act prohibits:

construction of any new fossil fuel mines or expansion of the fossil-fuelled electricity generation sector,

an increase in manufacturing of vehicles fully powered by fossil fuels, and

the supply of most fossil-fuelled appliances.

This sort of legislation would drive the implementation of the BZE Zero Carbon Australia plans which describe how to transition every sector of the Australian economy to zero emissions within 10 years.

You can (1) watch the video of the talk or (2) hear the audio and (3) see the slides which went with the presentation.

The discussion group was held in a different location from usual:
Elisabeth Murdoch Theatre A*,
Spencer Road, University of Melbourne

Thank you to the University of Melbourne Australian-German Climate and Energy College, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, and Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI), our Zero Carbon Australia project partners for supporting us in bringing you this event.

A Short-lived gas shortfall found that there is a shortage of ‘cheap’ gas, but not a gas supply ‘shortfall’. This important research also found that high gas prices combined with falling renewable and storage costs mean that there are cheaper options than developing new gas resources.

Hear from authors Dylan McConnell and Tim Forecy as they discuss their findings.

Discussion – 2 October: Connecting new energy technologies to get more value from home energy systems

Monday 2 October 2017 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pmAEDT

As new and more sophisticated technologies become available and affordable to home owners, there is huge potential to increase the returned value of home energy generation and battery storage systems. Awarded with a New Energy Jobs Fund grant, this project is a two-year industrial collaboration involving three industry partners that aims to implement, test, and evaluate a range of communication protocols and standards that allow key new energy technologies and services to interact and communicate. We’ll be joined by speakers from the three project partners which are:

Selectronic, a second-generation family company that is one of the largest off-grid inverter manufacturers in the world. Selectronic has been designing and manufacturing battery based inverters in Melbourne since 1981 for both the Australian and overseas markets,

IBM Research – Australia, a Melbourne-based research lab that is developing forecasting and analytics for Internet-of-Things applications, such as home energy storage,

Relectrify, a startup that repurposes pre-used rechargeable batteries into household and business energy storage solutions that are highly cost-effective and sustainable.

Rod Scott has been an executive director of Selectronic since 2005 and previously was involved with various start-up companies in the IT industry. Rod has recently been successful and heavily involved in supplying bi-directional inverters to the German market.

Julian de Hoog is a Research Staff Member at IBM Research – Australia, as well as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He is currently applying advanced data-driven forecasting and optimisation methods to the optimal operation of energy storage systems.

Valentin Muenzel is the CEO and Co-Founder of Relectrify, a Melbourne-based company that is commercialising advanced battery technology. Valentin has previously worked on energy storage and related topics with the University of Melbourne, IBM Research, CSIRO, PennState University under ARPA-E support, and BMW Germany.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)

BZE is running fortnightly discussion groups in October (2, 16 & 30 Oct) due to the huge spectrum of climate change solutions topics, and the support of speakers and supporters alike. We encourage new people to get active in this exciting area and join us!

Getting there: Take any tram on Swanston Street and get off at Stop 1, Melbourne University.

Entry: Gold coin donation

All welcome.
Thank you to the University of Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI), our Zero Carbon Australia project partners for supporting us in bringing you this event.
Everyone is welcome to come along to the pub to continue the discussion after 8pm!

For those who can’t attend you will find the video recording of this event on the BZE YouTube Channel and via a link on this page.

Monday 4 September 2017 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pmAESTBZE is a founding member of TAKE2, which is the Victorian Government’s collective climate change initiative supporting all Victorian individuals and organisations to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Sustainability Victoria is delivering the TAKE2 initiative to help achieve the goal of keeping global temperature rise under two degrees. Sustainability Victoria’s recent Climate Change Social Research results show very high community engagement (eg. 93% of Victorians think business and industry should contribute to action on climate change). Sustainability Victoria will discuss this social research, the TAKE2 pledge program, and what initiatives the Victorian Government are taking to decarbonise. Sustainability Victoria speakers include:Lisa Shadforth, Program Lead TAKE2 | Climate Change Program,Dianna McDonald, Climate Change Social Research lead,Jack Noonan, Acting Manager, Climate Change.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)

* Please note that we are at a temporary new location for this month (Sep & Oct).WHEN: 6:30 – 8pm Monday 4 September 2017Theatre 1 in the Old Geology Building *Melbourne UniversityPAR-Old Geology-G04 (Theatre 1)Getting there: Take any tram on Swanston Street and get off at Stop 1, Melbourne University.

Entry: Gold coin donation
All welcome.
Thank you to the University of Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI), our Zero Carbon Australia project partners for supporting us in bringing you this event.
Everyone is welcome to come along to the pub to continue the discussion after 8pm!For those who can’t attend you will find the video recording of this event on the BZE YouTube Channel and via a link on this page.Read: About the BZE Discussion Group
Further reading:Pledge to TAKE2

Matt Grantham, as part of his Masters of Applied Finance at Macquarie University, recently analyzed the corporate strategy for the recent demerger of EON in Europe (which is one of the world’s largest investor-owned electric utility service, based in Germany). The company was split into in low carbon distributed business (EON) while Uniper retained the high carbon intensity centralized assets. Matt will explore the corporate strategies associated with managing assets in diverging centralized and distributed markets and the lessons that can be learned from what happened in Europe. Matt recently published a series of articles in Renew Economy on this topic. Join us for a utilities’ guide for a brown to green transition.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)

WHEN: 6:30 – 8pm Monday 7 August 2017Theatre 1 in the Old Geology Building *Melbourne University

Our guest speaker in July is the architect Tim Adams. Tim has over 40 years of building design experience and is at the forefront of zero energy and energy efficient house design. Tim will present “The House with No Bills”!

Tim was also the instigator of the highly successful BDAV 10 Star Challenge and his early adoption of energy rating tools such as NatHERS makes him a leader in thermal rating, operational energy and life cycle assessment.

Through his company F2 Design, Tim is collaborating on 10 Star housing projects at The Cape sustainable housing project, Sociable Weaver and much more, all with the goal of providing sustainable fully passive dwellings designed for Australians conditions and that do not need heating and cooling.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)

Monday 5 June 2017 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pmAEST

There are many opportunities for renewable energy projects in the Latrobe Valley to replace baseload generation and employment following the closure of Hazelwood. Floating solar, wind and hydro projects have been proposed by experienced engineers in the area. Chris Barfoot is an innovator, industrial chemist, engineer and scientist with 33 years experience in the State Electricity Commission Victoria and the subsequent privatized Electricity Generation companies concluding on the 31st March 2017 with the closure of Hazelwood Power Station. Specializing in project management and business development he brings a unique and enthusiastic perspective to “transition’ and the renewable economy. He will be joined by Dr Baher Zaghlool, a senior civil engineer and former director of Downer Engineering and SMEC, who is now a strong advocate of community energy.

BZE YouTube

Below is a video recording of this event or you can click here to view on the BZE YouTube channel

(Remember to <Subscribe> and also please <Share> and <Like> the video)